Now that family and friends know that we are a gluten-free dining family, I am lucky enough to get tips to try out some new places that we have missed. A good friend recommended finding and trying The HIVE & Co. on the corner of Pacific Coast Hwy and Ritz-Carlton Drive in north Dana Point.
The HIVE & Co. describes itself as a lifestyle boutique and snack bar. Emphasizing sustainable and organic products and offering a unique menu of organic, gluten free and some dairy free desserts.
I dropped by on a sunny Sunday afternoon and surprised the kids with a visit. The small shop is full of bags of kale chips, Kombuchka teas and even some pretty jewelry. We weren't shopping today, we were looking for frozen treats!
The very nice owner/staff explained that all of their handmade ice cream sandwiches are gluten and dairy free, and come in a variety of flavors. (Chocolate chip cookies with vanilla, chocolate or mint chip ice cream. Peanut butter cookie sanwiches were offered too.) The sandwiches were pretty hefty looking and my husband and I decided to split one. The cookie has a generous helping of coconut in it that was different, but in no way tasted crazy. In fact, we quite liked it. It was a nice tropical twist to a typical cookie. I also loved that the cookies were firm, but not rock hard. They were just soft enough to bite through. Cold and satisfying, we would love to come back and have another.
The kids surprised me by each choosing popsicles instead of ice cream sandwiches. My celiac girl chose a very grown-up sounding Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt popsicle. She loved it! I tried some and it was very rich and creamy. There was no bitter artificial chocolate aftertaste either. She would order that one again in heartbeat.
My other daughter opted for a Strawberry Lemonade popsicle. It smelled and tasted of fresh strawberries and lemon. The more she ate it, the more she liked it. By the end, she declared it the best popsicle she had ever tasted. Pretty high praise from a seasoned dessert eater!
Lastly, my son had their Cookies & Cream popsicle which is not gluten free. I believe it is the only flavor that they have that isn't gluten free. It looked great and I got in a quick taste before he devoured it. It was also creamy with chunks of chocolate wafer cookies throughout it. A great treat on a hot day.
This small place is a big treasure to have so close to our area. I love their company philosophy of recycling, renewing, no chemicals and developing sustainability. Going green is great, but with my kids, what they really care about is taste and this place has that in spades. As we drove home, the kids were already talking me into picking another night this week we can go back and try some more frozen goodness.
The HIVE & Co. has limited hours, but will be expanding those hours in the coming weeks. Check their Twitter or Facebook page for more information.
Here are my marks for The HIVE & Co. located at:
2 Ritz Carlton Drive, Dana Point. (1-10 with 10 being highest)
Find out what's happening in San Juan Capistranofor free with the latest updates from Patch.
- GF Menu Selection: 9
- Service: 10
- Food taste: 9
- GF safety: 10
Eat drink and stay GF!
Erica is a local mom with three young children, ages 7, 10 and 12, who lives in San Juan Capistrano. A part-time working gal and a full-time mom, you can see what her family is up to with her Slice of Orange blog. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram@SliceofOc